Ott Tänak is returning to Hyundai, reports Dirtfish. According to information from the rally media, it is also affecting the situation of Esapekka Lapi and Teemu Suninen.
Rally site Dirtfish tellsthat the Estonian driver Ott Tänak will return to Hyundai for next season. According to Dirfish, Tänak has agreed to return to Hyundai for next year.
The 2019 world champion won the World Rally Championship in Chile at the wheel of M-Sport’s Ford last weekend, but the season has otherwise been difficult. The win was Tänak’s second of the season. The first came at the beginning of the season in Sweden.
According to Dirtfish, Tänak and the Belgian Thierry Neuville would drive a full season. According to Dirtfish, Finnish drivers Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen possibly sharing driving shifts in Hyundai’s third car. Lappi has driven a full season with Hyundai this year.
Hyundai has not confirmed the Dirtfish information. Tänak drove for Hyundai between 2020 and 2022 before switching to M-Sport for this year.
Even today, three years at Hyundai were bumpy. He entered the team as the reigning world champion, taking only five race wins in three years.
However, he became Hyundai’s team manager for this season Cyril Abiteboul. According to Dirtfish’s source, the changes in the team’s leadership are behind Tänak’s return.
– The situation is completely different now. Ott didn’t like everyone in the team before, but now Hyundai has a new face, the source described to Dirtfish.
Thierry Neuville, who drove as Hyundai’s number one name for a long time, also previously expressed his desire for Tänak’s return.
– We need to strengthen the team. Ott will probably come back and know about the competing car. It can only help, Neuville said in an interview with the Belgian RTBF.
– I have always said that Ott was a great teammate. He was the hardest to beat. It served as a reference for me. Ott gave me the opportunity to surpass myself.